Stop Gerrymandering Now!

I wrote the following email and sent it to all my elected representatives in congress and my state legislature. Some of the wording below has been changed to protect me. I am a public school teacher and am afraid that I will be fired for telling unpleasant truths about popular religions and policies.

Dear Congressman Jingleheimer Schmidt,

Today is the eve of Independence Day. Thus, it is a fitting time to remember that the United States started as a great improvement over the British Empire. A democratic republic that promotes and protects human rights is far superior to a not-so-limited monarchy. Yet the United States was not born as good as it is today. Originally, only white men who owned property were allowed to vote, and it took a long time for all adult citizens to gain that most cherished right.

Gerrymandering has been a longstanding and detrimental practice in the United States. Short of outright cheating, gerrymandering is the most effective way for one candidate or political party to steal an election. Through gerrymandering, voters do not choose their representatives; representatives choose their voters. This is backward and evil! It should be stopped now! Just as the United States eventually allowed all its adult citizens the right to vote, it should change again and stop gerrymandering.

I strongly recommend that you support H.R. 278, sponsored by Congressman Steve Cohen, and get the word out about the need to stop gerrymandering. http://www.endgerrymandering.com is an excellent resource.